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How To Read Food Labels

By Brad Scott

I notice a lot of people reading food labels in the grocery store and often times I wonder if they know what they are looking at. This really weighed heavily on my mind when a co-worker from a previous job argued with me about the sugar content of a food item I was eating. He recommended that I should try XXX product instead. His alternative product had more fat and less protein than what I was eating, but he claimed it was healthier because of the lower sugar content. I explained to him that it was 8am in the morning and at that point in the day I could handle the sugar, which of course really wasn't very much, and that I was more interested in the lower fat content and greater protein. But he insisted and after about 5 minutes I gave up arguing.

But, it helped me to understand the lack of knowledge in the general public. In order to properly read a food label, you must understand the entire label. And to determine if a product belongs in your personal menu, you must understand what your personal requirements are. For now I will provide an overview of reading food labels.

Most labels begin with giving the total calories.

The next part shows the breakout of those calories. Only fats, carbohydrates and proteins contain calories. These are shown in grams, so you must know how to translate grams to calories for each macronutrient. This section will also include the cholesterol and sodium in the product.

The next section shows the vitamins and minerals in the product.

The next section lists the ingredients. This is the hardest section to read. For example, sugar has many different names, which may or may not be included in the % Daily Value section.

Go into your kitchen and grab six products at random. Pick three you feel are very healthy and three you feel are not so healthy. Examine the differences.

About the Author:

Brad Scott is Owner and President of Sport and Life Fitness in Melbourne Florida. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and is a Certified Fitness Trainer and Specialist in Sports Conditioning with the International Sports Sciences Association. With over 20 years of experience, Brad offers a wide variety of fitness solutions for most anyone. Visit him online at www.SportAndLifeFitness.com today and start your fitness journey.